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I had the serious pleasure of visiting Portland Oregon for the first time earlier this fall. There are many fun things to report about that city, but my favorite by far was a little store tucked away in downtown Portland called Fat Fancy.

I had heard about the store from friends and quickly ventured over to check it out. I was greeted by a super-friendly worker (who I later learned was the co-owner). They quickly explained that Fat Fancy has their own sizing scale, one that was identified with a sign on the wall. I don’t remember the names of the categories offhand, but basically they relabeled all of the clothes in the store into four size categories that had names like “plush”–rather than numbers or sizes with values like “extra large.”

I’ve written about my own experiences with clothing and body image before, and Fat Fancy was a really refreshing shopping experience. It was all really affordable, vintage and used clothing, and I, for once, didn’t leave discouraged that nothing fit. They had both men and women’s style clothing in a wide range of sizes and styles.

Having a positive body image is pretty much impossible without clothing that fits well and makes you feel fabulous. We need more options like Fat Fancy.

Until recently there was a similar store in Brooklyn, called Re-Dress, which shut down just last week, leaving Fat Fancy as the only store of its kind (although ReDress will still have an online clothing store).

Fat Fancy has recently launched a fundraising campaign to help them start an online store and a buy/sell/trade program. Check it out if you want to lend your support!

In the mid-19th century, there was a feminist development for which I’m grateful pretty much every morning: bloomers arrived on the fashion scene. In the summer of 1851, American women dropped their corsets and petticoats as “boomer craze” swept the nation.

In the mid-19th century, there was a feminist development for which I’m grateful pretty much every morning: bloomers arrived on the fashion scene. In the summer of 1851, American women dropped their corsets and petticoats as “boomer ...

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